Hey Vino, can I borrow a few bucks?

[BumbleBeeDave]

Maybe he could loan me enough to get that TT bike I've been wanting? . . .

http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/12/news/magazine-alleges-alexander-vinokourov-bought-2010-liege-bastogne-liege-victory_199358

:D

BBD

[Fixed]

mob money
imho
cheers

[rwsaunders]

Deals have never been cut in the pro peleton before?

[BumbleBeeDave]

I just thought this one was amusing in that Vino could give that "explanation" with a straight face.

BBD

[William]

Watched part of Hell on Wheels yesterday. Pretty much all I did was think "Doper, another doper, and another doper, yep another one, oh yeah, he was a doper too...." Vino looked so young then....but also doped to the gills.



Oh well, such is life in the pro peloton.







William

[ultraman6970]

No idea if dough was in the middle but if you look one of the last mountain stages, u can see contador going to the attack and telling AS to stop with his hand. Even in that stage u can tell something is going on. So yes somehow sure they cut deals between them.

I saw the race in question and have seen the video and the climb is so steep that if you dont attack at the right moment u are dead. Like vino but u can tell he played his cards, was not that the other guys just did not do anything, the other thing is that you dont know how the race can unfold so just offer cash to win a race is just dumb because u need to pay everybody. U can pay for the help of one of two guys maybe but if another team has other plans or the guys u paid sucked or were in the wrong place there is no way to tell that you will win at all. IMO is just BS.

Deals have never been cut in the pro peleton before?

[Elefantino]

Not much different than what happens on the golf course, or do you really think all those bad shots/putts are accidental?

[JMerring]

Not much different than what happens on the golf course, or do you really think all those bad shots/putts are accidental?

huh? if you're not kidding, this is an absurd statement.

[ultraman6970]

In many sports u really can't tell if happens or not.

[Nooch]

Joe Perkins goes into this alot in 'A Dog in a Hat,' but most of the discussion was in kermis races and such.. To think it wouldn't go higher than that is a bit naive, I'd imagine the payments just get larger.

[BdaGhisallo]

Nothing new here except written records of deals thanks to email.

[Uncle Jam's Army]

Nothing new here except written records of deals thanks to email.

These guys are very dumb. Next time I knock over a bank, I'll be sure to email my co-conspirators thanking them for their help and asking for wire instructions.

[keevon]

...you dont know how the race can unfold so just offer cash to win a race is just dumb because u need to pay everybody.
The deal is cut in the breakaway. In this case, it was just Vino and Kolobnev. Payment comes after the race.

"Hey buddy... I'll pay you $134,000 if let me win. OK?"

[Wimpy]

I assume there is no legalized gambling for cycling in Europe.

I hope not.

[Fixed]

it is collusion
an agreement between two or more persons, sometimes illegal and therefore secretive, to limit open competition by deceiving, misleading, or defrauding others
cheers

[tiretrax]

It's a story as old as civilization itself.

[Mark McM]

Reported from Mike Creed's blog on CyclingNews.com (http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/michael-creed/the-ups-and-downs-of-having-an-opinion):

Assuming the emails and story is true I don't think there is any great scandal. Vino really wanted to win the race, enough that he offered a great sum to a person who was in a position to beat him. Now, if Kolobnev wanted to win the race more than Vino, he could of denied the offer. But at the end of the day, Kolobnev decided the money was a better route. If anyone should be mad here it would be his team.

They pay him and support him to win races, not to sell them. Otherwise, I don't see why anyone can have a complaint. Kolobnev put himself in the position to be bought off, he earned that. Nobody else in that field could. It's not as if Vino bought the entire field and made the race a farce.

I've been offered money a few times, and I honestly can't remember a time I agreed to take it. But I feel like I'd be misleading if I said it's never happened but I'm getting old now and my memory is gone. I do however remember when I was with Rock Racing, buying some riders to help out with defending the lead in a race overseas. Did it seem shady? Yeah. Would I brag about it? No. But we needed the help and they needed the cash.

Maybe this is why Baron de Coubertin decided to disclude professionals when he started the modern Olympic games - he wanted it to be about sporting competition, not business.

[BdaGhisallo]

And the Olympics are a fine example of honest amateur competition!